Expertly crafted in Italy. Gold and silver plated. Exquisite detail. 3 inch (76 mm) king. Weighted for perfect balance. Bases covered with billiard cloth. Ideal for boards 13 - 17 inch (33 - 43 cm). Rarely does a set of chess pieces shine so brilliantly as the Messina Gold and Silver Plated Italian Chessmen. Inspired by Messina, Sicily They share their name with the port city of Messina, Sicily, where for centuries merchants would compete to sell their imports, with the brightest, most exotic looking produce often attracting the highest bids. It is fair to say that, within the Regency Chess Collection, nothing catches the eye quite like the detail on these pieces. The intricate patterning laid upon precious metal is breathtaking on every piece, while a number of ornaments also hold ounces of character. On the rook, for example, vine engravings reach up to a superb turret, while the queen wears a corset of silver or gold that holds the bottom of her crown. With such care taken by our Florentine craftsmen on the back row pieces players can be forgiven for overlooking the pawns, which themselves display an extraordinary amount of delicacy in their ornamental design. Before any of these remarkable added touches are made, the mildly Staunton shape of these chess pieces is moulded in the Italfama workshop in Florence, Italy. These moulds are exclusive to Italfama and are made nowhere else in the world. Our product team at Regency Chess in Frome, Somerset decided to match them with a this Italian Leather Chess Board to create the The Messina Gold and Silver Leather Italian Chess Set. These precious metal chess pieces suit boards of 13 inches (33 cm) and larger, up to 17 inches (43 cm).